Post-Apocalypse Rewards and Prestige (1)
It had been said lightly, but Lee Do-hyun's appearance was in quite a sorry state. He was drenched head to toe in Deathworm bodily fluids, his upper body clothing entirely melted away. What little remained on his lower half had been washed away as well, yet the dwarf-made armor covering his waist and thighs had held firm enough to save him.
Of course, even that sturdy dwarf armor had nearly melted completely. Yet despite the clothing and gear melting away around him, Lee Do-hyun emerged completely untouched, not a single wound marring his body.
The sight left every member of the attacking party stunned beyond words.
Entering the Deathworm's body and exiting unharmed was already miraculous. To emerge with zero injuries? The sight was nothing like the ordinary human form they had all been accustomed to.
At the same time, the Dragon-Slaying Will still rippling from Lee Do-hyun's exhausted body pierced through the air in every direction. The attacking party members swallowed hard, unable to speak.
That kind of killing intent...
Even though it was still unstable...
Even the wild killing intent alone was overwhelming...
An irrefutable killing intent...
The killing intent radiating from the Dragon-Slaying Will that had consumed the Dragonkin made every race below Dragonkin level feel an instinctive awe.
Dragons were the most effective, of course, but the sheer domineering pressure from the lower races forced them to lower their heads involuntarily. Even Bruteon, a high-rank warrior, could only marvel in silence.
Lee Do-hyun had shown them just how formidable a human could become. Everyone swallowed hard.
Meanwhile, two other humans approached Lee Do-hyun.
“Do-hyun Oppa, you worked hard.”
“...At the very end, did that mad sword energy need to be infused with mana pressure and killing intent?”
Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan, the two who had approached while praising his effort and asking about the final blow, looked at Lee Do-hyun with utter disbelief. The party members were all frozen in shock.
They had already sensed it before, but witnessing such impossible behavior from Lee Do-hyun without batting an eye was astonishing.
Moreover, everyone present could feel the skill of these two.
Even Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan, who barely fell short of Bruteon in comparison, could not match the leader.
Everyone stood there dumbfounded by the absurd display when Bruteon, who had been staring blankly at the party, suddenly snapped out of it as Lee Do-hyun approached.
Bruteon looked at him and asked,
“The hunt seems to be over. Shall we retreat?”
“Hmm, the Deathworm's byproducts...”
Bruteon turned his head, and Lee Do-hyun followed his gaze. The Deathworm was dissolving into black ash and vanishing into the air. He shrugged as if he had seen it himself.
“Since there's nothing to harvest, I suppose the hunt is effectively over. After all, a zone boss drops zero points.”
Though they had suffered a heavy loss, Bruteon had no choice but to retreat. He wore a bitter expression, but since Lee Do-hyun had done nearly everything, he kept quiet.
“The party's role is finished. Shall we go?” Lee Do-hyun nodded.
“I’ll head back then.”
Even though he had no attachment, Lee Do-hyun turned to leave.
Normally, strong individuals avoided this place because they gained nothing from killing a Deathworm. Everyone who had rushed here after hearing the zone had been destroyed had felt the same, but Bruteon felt a strange sense of reverence for Lee Do-hyun who had entered the Deathworm's body himself.
That was why...
“Even though it's not much, take this.”
“...?” Lee Do-hyun tilted his head in confusion when Bruteon suddenly stepped forward and extended his hand.
Bruteon's outstretched left hand was not simply for a handshake. Offering his left hand at the Black Gate meant he was giving points.
Lee Do-hyun, dazed, took Bruteon's hand.
[You received 100,000P from Bruteon Dragon.]
“...???” Lee Do-hyun stared in genuine bewilderment while the other party members, seeing Bruteon's action, one by one approached him with their left hands outstretched.
“Your help saved me. Thank you.”
“Really, thank you.”
“Your skill is remarkable.”
“I couldn’t just watch.”
[You received 50,000P from Male Wisthun.]
...
... (omitted)
[You received a total of 300,000P.]
Lee Do-hyun looked at the notification and glanced at the others in slight confusion. Everyone smiled gratefully and left.
Watching the dispersing party, Lee Do-hyun thought about the items he had obtained inside the Deathworm and scratched his head before turning his mind off.
Had he ever felt a guilty conscience at times like this?
Of course not.
Lee Do-hyun grinned brightly and headed back toward the dormitory. Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan, who knew him well, watched him with subtle suspicion.
If they remembered how dazed he had been when Bruteon first gave the points, they must have guessed something was obtained. And they were right.
“Hehe, want to see what you got from the Deathworm?” Lee Do-hyun asked with a bright smile. Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan, who had expected exactly that, smirked and nodded.
“As expected.”
“You got something good.”
“Hehehe, I caught a glimpse and they looked pretty decent.”
Lee Do-hyun's words made the others wait with eager anticipation. Before reaching the dormitory, he slipped into a quiet alley and took out the items from his magic pouch to show them.
Since he had washed them immediately with water magic earlier, he pulled them out with clean hands. Three items appeared.
A small blade that looked sharp, a chestplate that gleamed with unusual luster and seemed incredibly sturdy, and finally a triangular form whose purpose was unclear.
Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan tried to identify them, but since they could not use Appraisal, they glanced at Lee Do-hyun.
Lee Do-hyun, as expected, analyzed all three at once. The information from the previous message appeared alongside it.
[Item acquired: ‘Deathworm’s Small Tooth,’ ‘Deathworm Scale Armor,’ ‘Deathworm Crystal.']
『Deathworm’s Small Tooth』
▶“A finely honed small tooth from a Deathworm.”
▶“When used to stab a target, it activates the skill ‘Swallow [A]’ from the Deathworm skills against the stabbed target.”
▶“When ‘Swallow [A]’ is applied, if the target’s strength is weaker than the user, the skill activates instantly. If it is similar or stronger, only a portion activates.”
『Deathworm Scale Armor』
▶“Armor made from Deathworm scales.”
▶“Simply incredibly sturdy.”
『Deathworm Crystal』
▶“A key to a dungeon in the C-rank zone.”
‘Oh!’
Analyzing the three items simultaneously, Lee Do-hyun’s eyes lit up, especially at the tooth and crystal. A key to a C-rank zone? Naturally, the crystal looked excellent as well.
The items inside the Deathworm had been there during briefing and remained until the end, with no other drops when confirming the corpse. They must be items obtainable only before killing the Deathworm.
Lee Do-hyun thought this and sighed in admiration at the small tooth’s effect.
‘This is like a cheat sword from some manga.’
He looked at the two who were supposed to receive it and saw that they had said it was his.
“The small tooth is yours, Oppa.”
“We don’t use daggers anyway.”
They had called it his as expected. After all, it was natural, so Lee Do-hyun moved on. He then looked at Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan regarding the chestplate.
Ji Yu-chan acted like a child about to receive New Year’s money—awkwardly avoiding eye contact, giving the impression he had not expected anything.
Seeing how obvious Ji Yu-chan was, Lee Do-hyun and Hana Rin chuckled.
“This is for Yu-chan.”
“I think so too.”
“W-wait, me? Haha, thank you.”
If he refused, Lee Do-hyun and Hana Rin would take it back, so he accepted with a bright smile. Ji Yu-chan’s face lit up.
Hana Rin must have felt a similar regret when receiving her staff, but it was now completely resolved.
Lee Do-hyun could have used the chestplate himself, but he had already taken the small tooth and found it slightly uncomfortable for his free-moving style, so he handed it to Ji Yu-chan.
Moreover, with the Guardian’s Body skill providing exceptional regeneration, there was no need for him to covet it.
After handing over the armor, Ji Yu-chan asked curiously,
“What’s the effect of this armor?”
“Eh?” Lee Do-hyun looked a bit embarrassed and examined the chestplate again. Simple descriptions followed.
It was not an effect but an explanation, yet Lee Do-hyun scratched his head and read it aloud.
『Deathworm Scale Armor』
▶“Armor made from Deathworm scales.”
▶“Simply incredibly sturdy.”
“Ah... incredibly sturdy.”
“Oh! Right! Thank you!”
Seeing Ji Yu-chan genuinely happy, Lee Do-hyun felt a twinge of guilt looking at the Deathworm’s Small Tooth, whose effect was as powerful as a cheat dagger and whose description spanned three lines.
Of course, that was all.
And finally, Hana Rin asked about the last item.
“What is this?”
Though she did not seem particularly eager, her curious gaze prompted Lee Do-hyun to explain.
“It seems to be something used at the entrance of dungeons. You probably won’t need it right away.”
“Oh! Is it like a key?”
“A dungeon key. Sounds like a difficult dungeon.”
The two reacted exactly as expected to Lee Do-hyun’s explanation, and he offered no more details.
No matter how brazen Lee Do-hyun was, saying “This is a dungeon that opens a door to a C-rank dungeon!” would make them question how he knew such specifics. Keeping it brief was best.
After confirming all rewards, Lee Do-hyun distributed the points he had earned.
Naturally, he had taken the most grueling role, so he took the most points—20,000 each for Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan, and 20,000 for himself.
As party leader, it was only fair, and since they had trained under him, the two felt it was more than enough. Lee Do-hyun nodded.
“Well, for now, let’s rest today.”
The exertion had been intense, so Lee Do-hyun said so, and Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan could not disagree.
Returning to the D-rank zone, the atmosphere was still war-like, and the fatigue was overwhelming. The party rushed back to the dormitory.
The survivors trickled back after hearing of the Deathworm’s defeat. Lee Do-hyun’s party received accommodations and quickly washed before collapsing into sleep.
Meanwhile, while Lee Do-hyun’s party slept, the dormitory buzzed with activity.
“Wow, I heard the attacking party defeated it in front of the 53rd Shaft.”
“Insane.”
“They said there was a party that performed exceptionally.”
“Who was it?”
Of course, Lee Do-hyun’s party, who had fallen asleep exhausted, was not who they were talking about.